Merritt Hamilton Allen - Founder and Executive Director
Merritt is the founder, owner and chief executive of Vox Optima, LLC, a global strategy and content firm providing government, military and private multi-billion-dollar organizations with relevant, authentic and compelling strategies and content to quickly achieve desired outcomes. She is a job creator focused on creating a culture and personality within Vox Optima to support employees and build brand ambassadors.
Merritt is a top-level strategist and communicator who successfully manages national and global strategies involving national security, defense acquisition, efficiency advocacy, environmental concerns and international relations. She focuses on strategy and change management, project management, outcome-based communications, new media and public outreach.
Merritt launched UniVox as a JV in 2022 to expand into technology. Initially intended to build on Vox Optima's primacy in digital signage content creation and management by offering digital signage system integration, UniVox quickly grew to encompass smart technology for buildings.
Merritt lives in New Mexico and is active in local media as a statewide columnist, talk radio and public broadcasting commentator, and with her local parish. In her downtime, she tests and creates recipes, amasses trivia knowledge, and binge-watches obscure Canadian comedy series.
You can reach Merritt via email or on social media at Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Darrell Allen – General Manager/Counsel
Darrell is a recovering attorney who maintained a solo practice concentrating in federal criminal defense and employment law for almost 30 years.
His wife eventually recognized his across-the-board brilliance and hired him to be Vox Optima, LLC's general manager in July 2020.
Darrell is a 1985 graduate of the University of Virginia, earning a bachelor’s in English, and a 1988 graduate of The West Virginia University College of Law, earning his juris doctoris degree.
He likes Pink Floyd, military history, and the Owner and Executive Director.
You can reach Darrell via email.
John Barnett
A retired Navy master chief, John has more than 30 years of experience and expertise in public relations, journalism, social media, communication planning, news and feature writing, internal communications, and media relations and training. During his military career, John says his favorite job was as a journalism and advanced newspaper editor studies instructor at the Defense Information School.
His extensive military and civilian PR work history provides Vox Optima clients with effective solutions for real-world media relations, social media and publication challenges. John has been a tremendous asset for clients like NAVSEA supporting their editorial and publication management needs; supplementing the Gibbs & Cox marketing team with editorial and graphic design services; and designing and implementing a foundational social media program for the National Association of Development Companies.
John’s educational background is as extensive as his professional one with a bachelor’s in communication arts and English, a master’s in adult education, and a master’s in strategic public relations, as well as being a Navy-certified master training specialist.
Jonathan Bozek
Jon is an accomplished U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has spent the majority of his career in the information technology industry. He has a unique way of finding opportunities, building relationships and turning them into successful business partnerships.
With a firm handshake, a dash of humor, and unwavering integrity, Jon approaches every interaction with a commitment to authenticity and excellence. He understands that building trust is crucial in the business world and goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional results for his clients.
In his hometown, you might spot him at various schools, enthusiastically cheering on his children as they participate in different activities. As a passionate soccer coach for the high school, he instills his knowledge and love for the sport into the next generation.
Contact Jon to do business with the company.
Gabrielle Darden
Gabrielle is a detail-oriented professional with over four years of experience working for Vox Optima. Currently a Project Coordinator with Vox, she specializes in tracking project lifecycles, managing client reporting, and ensuring operational compliance.
She also assists with client graphic design, multimedia, and advertising content deliverables and development when needed. When she’s not working, you can find her crocheting, scaling a mountain, training for half-marathons, or at a Comic Con.
Danielle Erdmann
Danielle Erdmann has a background in film, media, and social policy, shaped by living and studying in several places in the U.S. and abroad. Her experience has given her a strong appreciation for clear communication and the role visuals and storytelling play in helping people make sense of complex information.
At Vox Optima, Danielle supports teams across all service areas by creating multimedia content and helping translate ideas into visuals, videos, and digital materials that can be used in the real world. She likes exploring new tools to streamline creative work and contributing to early ideas and business development. Outside of work, she enjoys baking sourdough with the precision of a science experiment.
Allan McLaughlin - Change Management Consultant
Allan brings a background in public sector strategy, organizational alignment, and high-stakes facilitation to Vox Optima. With experience supporting executive transitions, cross-agency coordination, and team-level capacity building, he focuses on helping clients move from friction to clarity.
At Vox, Allan works on projects that sit at the edge of operations and communications—especially where internal misalignment threatens external credibility. He’s interested in how institutions adapt (or don’t) under pressure, and what makes work feel like it matters. Offline, Allan is an aspiring pro disc golfer, tech enthusiast, and part-time father—his kids are still reviewing his application.
Rachel O’Sullivan - Director/Senior Event Planner
Rachel is a top-tier trade show and industry event planner with more than 100 trade shows and conferences to her credit.
She brings over 30 years of experience in military and corporate communications, media relations, training, crisis communications, speech writing and marketing. Her client work spans editorial and graphic design for the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command, Office of the Judge Advocate General; media relations and campaign planning for the National Association of Development Companies; and focus group planning and management.
Her background includes 24 years in Navy Public Affairs, five years as a marketing manager with a Fortune 500 company, and ownership of a successful event planning firm.
Joe Vaccarro - Project Support
Joe Vaccaro is a western New York native and a graduate of West Virginia University. Joe is an accomplished project manager for clients such as the U.S. Dept. of Justice, U.S. Patent and Trade Office, and the DOD. He started in physical security and has transitioned into information technology.
Joe currently provides project support service to the DON/PEO Digital. Outside the workplace Joe is a husband and father of two teenage girls. He coaches softball and baseball in his community and serves on his local Little League board of directors.
Gregg Your - Digital Engagement and Strategy
Gregg Your is a native of Ohio and a U.S. Navy veteran who is an accomplished communications and digital strategy leader with 30+ years of experience driving impactful results within government agencies and private sector organizations.
Gregg works on digital strategy and engagement and helps Vox Optima experiment and innovate in communication using ethical, human-based artificial intelligence. When not working, he is a fervent major league baseball fan and is owned by two Newfoundland dogs who consider him their personal manservant.